The contamination of human blood and blood components with pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis and bacteria creates a serious risk for patients who receive blood or blood components via blood transfusions. Whole blood, packed red blood cells, platelets, and plasma (either fresh or fresh frozen) are examples of transfusable blood and blood components which may be contaminated with pathogens. To help combat this problem, blood, blood components, and other fluids can be decontaminated using photosensitizers which, when activated by exposure to light, inactivate pathogens which may be contained in the fluid without destroying the biological activity of the fluid.
A fluid container commonly used as a pathogen reduction container may contain a number of ports which provide ingress and egress into and out of the container. In order to provide selective communication between the interior of the container and exterior of the container, a frangible connection mechanism or other type of connector capable of being opened is commonly used in a port. Numerous frangible mechanisms are known in the art. Rupturing a frangible mechanism in a port allows a portion of the mechanism to be separated from the remaining portions of the mechanism, thereby permitting fluid to flow through the port. With such separation, the separated portion of the frangible mechanism is left to float in the fluid contained in the interior of the container or bag, which may be undesirable. Furthermore, when the separated portion of the frangible mechanism is separated from the rest of the mechanism, debris and particulates can possibly break off from the frangible mechanism during the breaking process. Such debris and particulates may therefore also be left to float in the fluid contained in the bag. Eliminating the use of a frangible mechanism in a port of a bag could thus eliminate the separated portion of the frangible mechanism altogether and minimize the presence of any resulting debris in the fluid contained in the bag.
Further, where ports provide ingress and egress into and out of a fluid container, a portion of the fluid to be inactivated during a pathogen inactivation procedure may become trapped or remain within one or more of the ports, such that the photosensitizer is not able to be adequately distributed or mixed with the trapped fluid. Without adequate interaction of the photosensitizer with the trapped fluid, pathogen inactivation of the fluid caught in the ports may be hampered or prevented altogether. Additionally, the ports may be substantially opaque, which may prevent the passage of photoradiation to the fluid contained within the ports. As a result, fluid trapped within the ports may still contain pathogenic contaminants after the inactivation process is completed, and such contaminants may then redistribute within the otherwise inactivated fluid, reinfecting the fluid.
It is to both the prevention of recontamination of the pathogen reduced fluid by pathogens trapped in the ports of an inactivation container and to the elimination of a frangible mechanism and the like to seal off a port that the present disclosure is directed.